Actions

Announcements and press releases encouraging world citizens to TAKE ACTION through letter writing, phone contact and emails on behalf of those struggling to secure land and access resources around the world.

URGENT ACTION ON SAN ONOFRE
Colombia Support Network
December 18, 2006 - At the request of the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes, the Colombian Senate's Human Rights Committee met in San Onofre on November 28, 2006, to hear testimony from community residents concerning crimes committed in the region during the past decade. Testimony given at the hearing revealed massive forced disappearances, existence of common graves with numerous bodies, administrative corruption, politicians' ties to paramilitaries, and the fact that 2,162 families forcibly displaced live in poverty. San Onofre Mayor Jorge Blanco Fuentes was pointed to as the person responsible for these conditions, through his acts and omissions. His ties to paramilitary leader Rodrigo Mercado Pelufo (alias "Cadena") were demonstrated and he was accused of receiving royalty income which was not used for public works programs, and of failing to protect San Onofre's residents.

URGENT: Solidarity with Oaxaca
La Vía Campesina
December 04, 2006 - Mexico City, 29 November 2006

Oaxaca, Mexico, is currently the target of massive state-led repression, in an attempt to exterminate the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO), which is a legitimate movement composed of social organizations, peasants, indigenous people, trade unions, neighborhood organizations, and teachers, which demands the removal of Oaxaca state governor Ulises Ruiz, as well as a profound political reform and public policies that would favor sectors of society who have traditionally been excluded.

Colombia - S.O.S. On behalf of the Indigenous Peoples: Nukak Makú, Guayabero, Sikuani, and Tucano
ONIC
June 29, 2006 - The National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, ONIC, is sending an S.O.S. because of the grave and repeated human rights violations against the Nukak Makú, Guayabero, Sikuani, and Tucano indigenous peoples. In a visit made to the state of Guaviare we witnessed first hand the critical human rights situation in which these indigenous people are living.

UNORKA's General Secretary, Enrico “Eric” Cabanit Assassinated
Evangeline Mendoza, UNORKA
April 28, 2006 - It is with deep and most profound sorrow and anger that we condemn in the strongest terms possible the senseless assassination of peasant leader Enrico “Eric” Cabanit, current Secretary General of Pambansang Ugnayan ng mga Nagsasariling Lokal na Organisasyon sa Kanayunan (UNORKA, National Coordination of Autonomous Local Rural People's Organizations), the biggest organization of landless and poor peasants in the Philippines fighting for social justice and land reform at around 6:10 last night (24 April 2006). Ka Eric was at the public market of the municipality of Panabo (his hometown), when he was assassinated by two masked men. His daughter was also seriously wounded due to gunshot wounds and is in critical condition at the Tagum General Hospital.

Colombia: Peasants in Cimitarra violated in their rights
EMERGENCY NETWORK: Via Campesina, FIAN
April 19, 2006 - Strong fighting between the Colombian army and the guerrilla threatens the peasant population in the region of the River Cimitarra Valley, Central Magdalena. Furthermore, peasants from different localities have been tortured and arrested by army members and alleged paramilitaries. About 25 peasant families were forced to leave the place after the army occupied San Francisco village, on the bank of the Cimitarra river. After meetings with 15 active communal councils, a fact finding commission composed of representatives of the Peasant Association of the River Cimitarra Valley (ACVC), NGOs and the Integrated Peace Observatory denounced severe violations of human rights and demanded that the State should fulfil its obligations to protect the men and women peasants which are being used as human shields by the combatant parties.

PARAMILITARIES ASSASSINATE TWENTY-TWO (22) PEASANT FARMERS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CURUMANI - Bogota, 9 December 2005
MINGA
December 22, 2005 - MINGA, the Association for the Promotion of Social Alternatives, informs national and international public opinion that paramilitaries currently in the process of negotiating with the Colombian government, detained, tortured and executed twenty-two (22) peasant farmers in the villages of La Más Verde and Nuevo Horizonte, Curumani municipality, Cesar.

Colombia: “Liberty for Mother Earth". Indigenous people and peasants fighting for Agrarian Reform
La Vía Campesina; FIAN
November 11, 2005 - Since October 12th, indigenous and peasant groups have peacefully occupied more than 12 farms in the Cauca Department in demand for agrarian reform measures. Armed forces tried to evict them from the different places, injuring more than 57 persons. The government of Cauca accepted to initiate negotiations with some of the occupants, but not with all of them. At the same time, the Governor made statements to the effect of discrediting the groups and communities by associating them with drug trafficking, guerrilla and terrorism. Since the beginning of October the arrival of uniformed persons to the region has been reported who might possibly be paramilitary groups. The risk of a massacre cannot be ruled out.

Indonesia: Land for peasants or for tourism?
La Vía Campesina; FIAN
November 11, 2005 - On September 18th, 2005, the local police of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, fired into a crowd of more than 700 peasants who had come together to prepare a week-long series of activities to commemorate Indonesia's National Peasants' Day. Twenty-seven persons were wounded, four were hospitalised and six peasants were arrested. The peasants were opposing the planned construction of a new international airport in a fertile area of Lombok. One month before the shooting, 2631 peasants had been evicted from their land by the local authorities to make way for the planned airport. Since land is their only means of livelihood, the right to food of these peasants' families is threatened.

A Call to Action to Social Movements, Mass Organizations and All Civil Society Groups: No Deal in the Hong Kong Ministerial! WTO Out of Food and Agriculture!
October 18, 2005 - October 17, 2005 -- With only two months to go before the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sixth Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong, pressure is mounting among WTO delegates to come up with an agreement to save the WTO from the humiliation of yet another round of failed talks. On October 19-20, WTO members will convene in Geneva for the General Council (GC) to take stock of the progress in achieving the so called Doha Development Round. The Doha Round was launched in November 2001 and most negotiations were expected to be final by January 2005.

SIXTH DECLARATION OF THE SELVA LACANDONA (I)
Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)
August 19, 2005 - This is our simple word which seeks to touch the hearts of humble and simple people like ourselves, but people who are also, like ourselves, dignified and rebel. This is our simple word for recounting what our path has been and where we are now, in order to explain how we see the world and our country, in order to say what we are thinking of doing and how we are thinking of doing it, and in order to invite other persons to walk with us in something very great which is called Mexico and something greater which is called the world. This is our simple word in order to inform all honest and noble hearts what it is we want in Mexico and the world. This is our simple word, because it is our idea to call o n those who are like us and to join together with them, everywhere they are living and struggling.

SIXTH DECLARATION OF THE SELVA LACANDONA (II)
Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)
August 19, 2005 - Now we are going to explain to you how we, the zapatistas, see what is going on in the world. We see that capitalism is the strongest right now. Capitalism is a social system, a way in which a society goes about organizing things and people, and who has and who has not, and who gives orders and who obeys. In capitalism, there are some people who have money, or capital, and factories and stores and fields and many things, and there are others who have nothing but their strength and knowledge in order to work. In capitalism, those who have money and things give the orders, and those who o nly have their ability to work obey.

SIXTH DECLARATION OF THE SELVA LACANDONA (III)
Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)
August 19, 2005 - We are now going to tell you what we want to do in the world and in Mexico, because we cannot watch everything that is happening o n our planet and just remain quiet, as if it were o nly we were where we are.

What we want in the world is to tell all of those who are resisting and fighting in their own ways and in their own countries, that you are not alone, that we, the zapatistas, even though we are very small, are supporting you, and we are going to look at how to help you in your struggles and to speak to you in order to learn, because what we have, in fact, learned is to learn.

Landless Peasants March in Brazil, Build a new Road by Walking
Deborah James, Common Dreams News Center
July 20, 2005 - On May 17th, Brazilian news media reported that 50 people were injured as landless peasants clashed with police. Like our corporate media in the U.S., this focus overshadowed the real story; that 12,000 poor landless peasants had recently completed a Herculean 150 mile, 17 day-long march across the country to raise awareness about the crucial need for land reform in Brazil.

Donate to Via Campesina Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction Fund
January 03, 2005 -
Please support fisherfolk and peasant communities in their own relief and reconstruction from the Tsunami disaster

Via Campesina launches initiative to raise funds for affected communities

MST Asks for Urgent Action: Court of Justice of Para will sentence appeal in the lawsuit of the massacre in Eldorado dos Carajas
MST (Landless Workers Movement)
November 15, 2004 - The Court of Justice of Para will sentence appeal in the lawsuit of the massacre in Eldorado dos Carajas. On November 19th the Court of Justice of Para will sentence the appeal in the lawsuit that is investigating the participation of military policemen during the massacre in Eldorado dos Carajas.

Land Occupation in Bolivia
Econoticiasbolivia.com
September 02, 2004 - The occupation of Bolivian oil field marks the beginning of a new wave of protests, which developed in the rural areas of the country. Further actions are being carried out in the south of the country, and marches to La Paz are being prepared by landless farmers from different regions. The landless movements explained that the occupation of the oil field was a direct action against the government for the acquisition of the just entitlements [ titulación ] to their properties.

Stop the Torture and End Detainment of LPM Activists
Sofia Monsalve Suárez, FIAN Internacional
May 07, 2004 - 62 members of the South African LPM have been arrested, harassed and even tortured on the past election day of 14 April. With the LPM's approval we have started a campaign letter to the President of South Africa demanding the immediate stop of repression and the implementation of a land and agrarian reform programme. . . .Take Action Now

LPM Activists Tortured and Detained
Anti-Privitisation Forum
April 29, 2004 - Anti-Privitisation Forum (APF) is Outraged at Reports of Physical and Psychological Abuse of Imprisoned LPM Members by the Police Crime Intelligence Unit. We demand the release, and drop of all charge against, the 62 Landless People's Movement (LPM) members arrested on election day. Millions of poor and landless South Africans continue to be denied real democracy, which can only be enjoyed on the basis of socio-economic equality and justice! . . . . . Take Action

Peoples' Caravan Delegates Arrested in Nepal
Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PANAP)
April 29, 2004 - Around 100 delegates who had attended the Public Launch of the Peoples Caravan for Food Sovereignty gathered in a peaceful demonstration near Ratna Park in downtown Kathmandu. The protestors, both foreign and local, were then pushed unto the back of the trucks and taken to Police Headquarters where many were questioned about the action. They were released later in the evening. Protest actions have become a daily occurrence on the streets of Kathmandu. And just as pro-democracy movements have intensified, so have incidences of police suppression of these actions.

TAKE ACTION-Against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
Global Justice Ecology Project
March 30, 2004 - Help end global economic injustice driven by the policies and programs of international financial institutions! In the 60th anniversary year of the IMF and World Bank, join others to take a stand against imperialism and the threat to self-determination and justice.

TAKE ACTION-People’s struggle for land rights in India
Global Campaign for Agrarian Reform, La Via Campesina & FIAN
February 17, 2004 - Ekta Parishad, a grassroots movement defending the land rights of the rural poor, has started in Orissa, India on 30th January a large mass action in the form of a Yatra (foot march) in order to document human rights violations cases, mobilize the communities affected and demand urgent action from the government.

TAKE ACTION-Landless Youth Activists face Life Sentences Without Proper Defense
Landless People's Movement
January 31, 2004 - The Landless People's Movement (LPM)-An independent national movement of poor and landless people struggling for land reform - requests all social movement and civil society activists with regular incomes to assist us to ensure that seven of our strongest youth comrades will be able to pay for a decent legal defence in the upcoming Johannesburg High Court murder case against the LPM "Protea 7".

TAKE ACTION-South African Organizer Kubheka Harassed by Land Owner
The Landless People's Movement
October 09, 2003 - A call for public action to exonerate LPM National Organizer and land activist, Mangaliso Kubheka, from false charges made by a white farmer in South Africa

TAKE ACTION-Armed landlords prevent agrarian reform in Brazil
La Vía Campesina & FIAN
October 09, 2003 - Since the end of 2002, 180 landless families are camping on the border of municipal land in Foy do Jordão,Paraná. Local landlords created armed military groups to protect their properties, harrass landless families and hinder the expropriation of land for the agrarian reform.

TAKE ACTION-Guatemalan Land Reform
Campaign for Agrarian Reform, La Via Campesina & FIAN
September 25, 2003 - Indigenous land has been taken by force from families in the northern regions of Guatemala. Land must be redisributed to nearly 830 landless indigenous families in Guatemala if justice is to be restored in the countryside.

TAKE ACTION- Murder and Arrest of Honduran Peasant Activists
Victoria Cervantes, uk.indymedia.org
July 29, 2003 - The National Center for Rural Workers (CNTC) in Honduras, Central America asks for urgent support for their communities after 2 activists are murdered and 30 detained in two separate attacks July 16 and July 17th.